Door-check.



1. F. GOLDING.

DOOR CHECK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1914.

Patented July 18, 1916.

no WAaMiNn 101v. n c

JOHN F. eornmaor wAsHmqron, nrsrarcr or COLUMBIA.

DOOR-CHECK.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ,JoI-rN F. GOLDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Checks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to door checks and has for its object to prevent accidental closing of the door either by gravity or through the action of a draft or gust of wind.

The door check consists of two members which are or may be connected by means of a pivot joint. The upper member is above the floor and extends away from the door. The lower member extends downward and is adapted to incline in either direction ,rela tive to the door. By this construction the check offers resistance to thepclosing oftthe door and in order that the door may close the upper pivoted end of the lower member must pass over what may be termed a dead center. This resistance of the check is strong enough to withstand the pull of gravity or any pressure of wind, but is easily overcome when it is desired to close the door by pressure with the hand, as by taking hold of the knob in the usual manner. By means of my improved door check, .the door may be left openat any desired point with the assurance that it will remain permanently in that position until again moved or adjusted by hand.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improx ements in their useful appllcations, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of example, I have delineated.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is aside elevation partly in section of a door check embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are side and edge views of another formof foot having a piece of soft material which is eccentric, and adjustable to bear on the floor with more or less pressure as the check passes the toggle or dead center line. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and front views of another form of the check, in which the depending member is the spring member. Fig. 7 is a side view of the check showing another form of spring. Fig. 8 is a perspective view, on a smaller Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed July. 11, 1914. s ria nb. 850,449.

scale, of the door check constructed with .two depending members.

Referring to the drawings 1, is a door to which is fastened the upper member 2 of the check by means of screws 3 so. as to, extend outwardly from the door.

4 is a pivot riveted at 5 and which fastens the lower brace member 6 to the said upper member, so that the lower member depends tothe floor. I The lower member 6 is preferably of heavy steel or iron wire and is flattened at its upper end as shown at 7'to permit its being pivotally fastened to the uppermember 2 by the said rivet 4.

8 is a bumper of soft rubber or other material held on the rivet stem and which prevents the door fromcoming into too violent contact with the wall when it is swung open. Vhen constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with this member a curved spring, itselfis in effect the bumper, any abrasion of the wall being prevented bythe soft material 8. The said lower member 6 is equippedat its lower end with a foot 9 consisting of a metalcasing or socket 1O adapted to screw on to the endof thelower member 6. The casing 10, by means of the screw threads makes it a simple matterto lengthen or.shorten the lower member 6 should it become necessary'through any unevenness in the floor.

11 is a semi-globular piece of soft rubber which is secured in the casing by teeth or flanges 12 and which gives the lower member 6 a firm engagement on the floor when it is in the act of passing over the dead center.

The .upper member 2 is preferably made of flat-tempered steel so that it will serve as a spring. 'When it is desired to close the door,-the foot 9hol ds firmly against the floor and causes the pivot 4 to move upwardand outward out of itsposition whenthe door is moved preparatory to closing, the total lengthof the ,member 6 being greater than the distance from the pivot to the floor. The normal holding position of the check is shown in full lines in Fig. 1, inclined away from the door to the pivot.

The position of my device when it has reached the dead center is shown in dotted lines 13 in Fig. 1. After the door has moved farther and the device has passed over the dead center the action of the upper spring member 2 causes the pivot 4 to spring back into its former place and the lower member takes the position shown at 14; and drags behind the door until the door is closed.

When the door is opened to any desired point, the device Works in the opposite direction. The foot of the check remains stationary until the device has passed over the dead center 13, when it trails along in front of the door until the movement of the door is stopped. Then in order that the door may close, the device must again move backward over the dead center. 'To do this the resistance of the upper spring member 2 must be overcome and this resistance is great enough to resist any draft or sudden gust of wind, or any gravitating swinging of the door, or any pressure of a closing spring or spring hinge with which the door might be provided.

If so desired my device may comprise a second lower member 6 mounted on the pivot 4. Such construction is shown in Fig. 8. These two members would hold the door from unintended movement in either direction. The single member 6 may be thrown up into inoperative position, as indicated in dotted lines at 17 (Fig. 1), and when two depending members are mounted on the pivot, as above explained, elther or both of them may be so thrown up.

' Provided that the door check is made so that one of its members passes by or over What may be termed the dead center, the toggle line or the line of resistance, and the checkyields to accommodate such movement as the door swings, the check may be otherwise variously constructed.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the outwardly extending member 2 is made rigid and the depending member is a yielding spring or spr ngs. In Figs. 5 and 6 a pair of leaf springs 1nd1- cated at 6 is shown; in Fig. 7 the depending member is a coiled spring 6".

In Figsy3 and 4 another form of adjustable foot for the depending member 6 is shown, comprising a disk of soft material or rubber 11 mounted eccentrically upon an eye 18 of the member 6 by a short clamping bolt 19. This bolt preferably has a wing nut 20, by loosening which and turning the disk 11 and tightening the wing nut again the effective length of the member 6 is changed, so that it will give the proper resistance as it passes the dead center. The same result may be produced by adjusting the socket 10 shown in Fig. 1. When the check has been properly adjusted the door will be securely held against unintentional closing, but when it is manipulated by the knob the resistance of the check is hardly perceptible.

I claim 1. In an automatic door check operable in either direction by manipulation of the door, the combination of a bracket and attaching member adapted to be attached to a door, and a brace member pivoted to the outer end of the bracket member, one of said members being a metal spring, the brace member being arranged to be inclined in the direction of movement of the door and to trail loosely on the floor in both directions, and being inclinable automatically in the other direction so as to engage the floor and act as a stop, and having a spring toggle action as it passes the dead center from one inclination to the other.

2. In a door check the combination of a metal spring member adapted to be attached to a door so as to extend therefrom and which is upwardly and downwardly resilient, and a brace member pivoted to the outer end of the outwardly extending spring member and depending therefrom and freely swingable to either of the two opposite inclinations, and longer than the distance from its pivot to the floor, whereby the said brace member may trail loosely after the door in either direction, and bear at its lower end upon and engage with the floor, and be caused to pass over a dead center with a toggle action and be automatically inclined to either direction relative to the door, by the movement of the door.

3. In a door check, in combination: a spring adapted to be fixed to a door, and two brace members pivotally connected with said spring and freely swingable to either inclination, whereby the door may be held from closing by the operation of one or both of said brace members arranged at one inclination, or may be held from movement in either direction by said brace members when they are inclined oppositely to each other.

In testimony whereof I a'flix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

I JOHN F. GOLDING.

Witnesses:

H. N. Low, N. CURTIS LAMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. C. 

